INNISFAIL – Town officials met with Innisfail Arena user groups last week to update them on what's being done to accommodate the groups following the breakdown of the red ice surface's ice plant.
Representatives from user groups, including Innisfail Minor Hockey, the Innisfail Eagles and the Innisfail Skating Club, along with others, attended a meeting at the Arena on Oct. 18.
“Everybody participated, everybody shuffled and everybody moved. There was not one argument or disagreement,” said Linda Paré, president of the Innisfail Skating Club. “As a skating club we gave up almost three hours of ice time (a week) to minor hockey to help get some of their little (skaters) on the ice. We gave up one hour on Mondays, one hour on Wednesdays and gave up all the ice time we had on Fridays.
“We gave up what we could give,” she added, noting how everyone was willing to work together.
“The meeting was so successful. Everyone worked together,” added Paré. “Sometimes you look at our ice and it's full of little people, but that way everybody gets to skate.”
The problem at the red ice surface was made public at a town council meeting earlier this month. Council was told the chiller, a key ice plant component that exchanges heat between one refrigerant and another – was discovered on Oct. 5 to be no longer viable for the red ice surface, which has been in working order since the Arena opened 28 years ago, independently from the Arena's blue ice surface.
The town said while no concrete timeline has been set, they do believe the red ice surface at the Innisfail Arena could be back in use by the end of November.
A plan laid out by staff included a tentative timeline for repairs to the existing ice chiller, the delivery of the portable unit from Winnipeg, the installation of mechanical components and ice surface preparation. The cost for the portable unit could be as much as $6,500 a month while a permanent solution could have a bill of up to $300,000.
In the meantime, user groups are working together to ensure everyone has reasonable access to the blue ice surface.
Stephen Bates, president of the Innisfail Minor Hockey Association (IMHA), also appreciated the efforts of everyone who came to the meeting to offer solutions.
“It went very well. I think it was well received by everybody,” said Bates. “We all had questions over (what's happened) the last couple of weeks and we realize that stuff like this takes time.”
He said he was happy to receive an update and have information to pass on to IMHA members, who have been busy making changes and juggling schedules.
“We've had a lot of coaches and managers rearrange practices and we're going on a week-to-week basis to make sure everybody is accommodated,” said Bates. “At times we've had up to three or four teams on the ice at the same time and while it is difficult, everybody just keeps pushing forward. We know that's how it is right now,” he added.
“All the user groups realize the situation and that it all takes a bit of cooperation and sacrifice in order to make things work. I think everybody has stepped up and done that,” said Bates.
Stephen Bates
"All the user groups realize the situation and that it all takes a bit of cooperation and sacrifice in order to make things work. I think everybody has stepped up and done that."
